Catalytic Converter Theft

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by svandamme

All you need is a scrap yard with enough volume to blend the stolen cats with legit junk yard cats.
and the right mix of greed / low ethics.

Greed and low ethics in the junk business? Never!

[red-beard]

My business was hit for copper theft. They cut the chain to the back alley and then shut off our power and cut the copper feed at both ends. There are 5 businesses on each side of the alley and they also cut the middle business. They got maybe 140 feet of 4-0 from my business. They got 3 times that from the middle business. It is worth maybe $200 scrap. It cost me $1500 to repair.

[hcoles]

At this point maybe there is no law in CA....
When I took some copper pipe in the other day for recycling I had to fill out a form and I think they took my picture. Why not something like that for "recycling" a CAT?

[pmax]

Sawzall.

Easy work, a thriving black market and no law enforcement risk given this is a victimless crime, just property covered by insurance, means this will continue. Not for this guy though, he was caught dead literally.

[HobieMarty]

Originally Posted by pmax

Sawzall.

Easy work, a thriving black market and no law enforcement risk given this is a victimless crime, just property covered by insurance, means this will continue. Not for this guy though, he was caught dead literally.

Victimless crime??? What about the owner who gets in their vehicle to go somewhere and finds the cat has been cut from their exhaust system. Now they have to call the police, file an insurance claim, get the vehicle to a shop and be without their vehicle until it is repaired. What if that is their only vehicle? Now they have to arrange for transportation either through their insurance or some other means. So for a few bucks, the thief can really screw up a person's day. I hate a freaking thief more than anything!!!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Heel n Toe]

Get your state government to pass a law like ours did.

Having a catalytic converter without proof it's yours could lead to prison time

If you are in possession of a catalytic convertor, you must provide proof it's yours or face up to three years in prison, according to Sheriff Lott.

"In 2016, we had two catalytic convertors stolen -- two. In 2020, 663. This year alone, we've had 290 stolen," said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott.

More:
https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/catalytic-converter-without-proof-could-lead-to-prison-time/101-2c89595b-caa3-4a2d-9f39-5736ed343df3

[flatbutt]

Theft prevention?
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cat+converter+cover

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by pmax

Sawzall.

Easy work, a thriving black market and no law enforcement risk given this is a victimless crime, just property covered by insurance, means this will continue. Not for this guy though, he was caught dead literally.

That is hardly a victimless crime. The car's owner has to pay hundreds of dollars to have it replaced, and it can mean a day or more of having no car while it is repaired, and possible missing work.

A victimless crime is prostitution between consenting adults. It is even legal in some areas. Theft and vandalism of someone's car is illegal everywhere. It is not shoplifting, it is should be a felony in every jurisdiction.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by HobieMarty

Victimless crime??? What about the owner who gets in their vehicle to go somewhere and finds the cat has been cut from their exhaust system. Now they have to call the police, file an insurance claim, get the vehicle to a shop and be without their vehicle until it is repaired. What if that is their only vehicle? Now they have to arrange for transportation either through their insurance or some other means. So for a few bucks, the thief can really screw up a person's day. I hate a freaking thief more than anything!!!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

An ald girlfriend's son owns a commercial truck business, and have been hit big time and cost him a lot of money, insurance doesn't cover everything. No such thing as a victimless crime when it comes to thieves. Catch em, shoot them and feed em to the hogs.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by pmax

.. given this is a victimless crime,...

You and I have totally different views on what makes this crime victimless or not.

[GothingNC]

My neighbor just had her Catalytic Convertor stolen from her old Ford Expedition while she was at a local shopping center.

Now we have to hear the loud exhaust for a while until she gets funds to replace it :-(

[pmax]

3 years imprisonment for a petty theft is harsh and unusual punishment. If the feds are really serious, go after the buyers.

[pmax]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

That is hardly a victimless crime. The car's owner has to pay hundreds of dollars to have it replaced, and it can mean a day or more of having no car while it is repaired, and possible missing work.

A victimless crime is prostitution between consenting adults. It is even legal in some areas. Theft and vandalism of someone's car is illegal everywhere. It is not shoplifting, it is should be a felony in every jurisdiction.

And that's kinda the point, what amounts to a crime is decided by society as a whole, as has been amply shown in recent events. What’s on the books and what law enforcement, DAs enforces are different matters, the latter often being the tell where things are headed until the former catches up. When society says it’s victimless, then it is ... regardless of what one’s personal views are.

Remember this is California where I am.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by pmax

3 years imprisonment for a petty theft is harsh and unusual punishment. If the feds are really serious, go after the buyers.

No, it isn't, how else are you going to stop them?
People claiming that some crime doesn’t deserve this or that are the ones responsible for crimes going up, every time you give a criminal a pass saying

it was only this or that

problem is, it may be much more to the actual victim and then the criminal feels enabled to commit bigger crimes.

[daepp]

Most of our foremen take their F250's home over night. We've lost 4 cats in the last year, and today I learn we have a 2012 (which uses 2 cats) wouldn't pass smog due to failing cats. And I learned we cannot replace them with perfectly good, new, aftermarket cats. The dealer wants $2,000 each for them new, and they're backordered. So I will not be able to run that truck for a few weeks, and that foremen and his crew might not be able to work as a result.

You call that a "victimless" crime?

Ps Perhaps individual auto insurance will cover them after a deductible, but not commercial AFAI can tell.

[LakeCleElum]

Karma:

https://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/2021/05/mercedes-tumbles-off-jack-kills-suspected-catalytic-converter-thief.html

[pmax]

The brazen daylight attempts means there's little risk of being caught.

Sacramento


Bakersfield

[3rd_gear_Ted]

On my 4x4 Toyota truck I welded a length of 3/4 inch round bar of tool grade steel to the Cat and the pipes.

[fastfredracing]

Who is afraid of a map gas torch? I would have caved that mfers skull in with that blow torch, then smashed the windows out of their getaway vehicle out with it , then lowered the jack on the other dude
what a bunch of douche canoes.

[fastfredracing]

That edition of internet tough guy brought to you today by .....
Some of them are really tough to saw through . On a domestic pick up , I will sometimes eat up 5 or 6 blades by the time I have sliced through that double walled stainless pipe